1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bio-chip, and more particularly, to a bio-chip allowing for individual experiments to be performed on biomaterials attached thereto.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, research and development of biotechnological means for rapidly diagnosing various human diseases have been increasingly demanded. For this reason, bio-chips or cell chips necessary for testing biomaterials have constantly been developed.
Bio-chips or cell chips are useful in testing large amounts of biomaterials, and thus may be used by pharmaceutical and cosmetics companies as well as in hospitals.
Bio-chips may be classified into DNA chips, protein chips, and cell chips, depending on the kind of a biomaterial fixed to a substrate. Previously, DNA chips were largely evident, in concert with understanding human genetic information. However, with increasing interest in the proteins that underlie all life, and cells that are the backbone of life as binders for proteins, protein chips and cell chips have recently come to prominence.
Meanwhile, in the pharmaceutical industry, the cosmetics industry, and others, a method of verifying the effectiveness and stability (toxicity) of a specific drug by testing reactions of cells to the specific drug has been used. However, since the existing methods require large amounts of reagents for precise tests, such methods may be relatively expensive and consume a lot of time.
Accordingly, there is a need for the development of a bio-chip allowing for fast and accurate diagnoses, as well as reductions in costs associated therewith.
According to the related art, when the biomaterials attached to the bio-chip are analyzed, the entire bio-chip needs to be used, even in a case in which only some biomaterials are to be analyzed.
Therefore, the research into bio-chips capable of separating and analyzing only portions of the biomaterials attached thereto is needed.